Former S-League coach jailed for accepting bribes

Former S-League coach Kunju Jamaludeen was sentenced to three months in jail and ordered to pay a penalty of $4,000 on Friday afternoon for accepting and planning to accept bribes of more than $35,500. --ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG

By Jalelah Abu Baker

A former S-League coach was sentenced to three months in jail and ordered to pay a penalty of $4,000 on Friday afternoon for accepting and planning to accept bribes of more than $35,500.

Kunju Jamaludeen, 56, faced nine counts of corruption for assisting trainees to pass a coaching certification course, but the prosecution proceeded on four. The rest were taken into consideration.

He committed the acts between February and June 2011, when he appointed by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) to conduct the Asian Football Federation 'C' Certificate Coaching Course. He borrowed a total of $5,000 from four trainees in his coaching course, and attempted to borrow more than $30,000 from five others.

He said he needed the money for a Mongolia trip to negotiate a coaching contract, for a flat, and for his ill grandson. Kunju, in pleading for leniency, said he was remorseful and apologised for bringing a bad name to FAS.